Centennial Citizen 122321

December 23, 2021

$1.00

An edition of the Littleton Independent A publication of

VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 5

Arapahoe had to exit Tri-County, officials say Tri-County may still provide services to one or more counties after 2022

BY ELLIS ARNOLD AND ELLIOTT WENZLER EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

cause unexpected injuries.

Dr. Eric Hill, a HealthOne emergency room physician at the Medical Center of Aurora, said the holiday season is the start of winter, which means more ER visits with people who have slipped and fallen on icy, slippery surfaces.

While the Front Range has not

The rebuilding of the public health agency structure in a wide swath of the Denver metro area appears likely to result in Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties all having the independence to make their own decisions on public health orders and how to provide health services for residents.

In an era when the Tri-County Health Department’s name elicits intense backlash among some county residents, there could be political benefits to each county formally separating from the agency and shaping its own policies.

Even still, separating from TriCounty Health isn’t an outcome Arapahoe County was sprinting into.

Arapahoe was the last of the three counties to formally provide notice that it will separate from Tri-County, a decision that will take effect at the end of 2022. The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners — the county’s elected leaders — voted to take the action in a Dec. 14 resolution.

Despite the vocal opposition to TriCounty’s mask mandates in recent months, anti-mask sentiment didn’t influence Arapahoe County’s decision to pull out, according to Nancy Jackson, an Arapahoe County commissioner.

SEE INJURIES, P20

SEE TRI-COUNTY, P23

A team at Cherry Creek Innovation Campus works on building tiny homes.

COURTESY PHOTO

Students building ‘tiny homes’ for homeless Youths’ efforts benefit program based in Denver

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For the second time, students at Cherry Creek’s career and technical education campus are building what are known as “tiny homes” as part of an effort to help people

out of unsheltered homelessness in Denver.

“This project is not only teaching our students valuable life skills and preparing them for post-secondary careers — it’s also showing them how to use their skills for the benefit of the community,” Mike

Degitis, project coordinator and a math teacher at the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, said in a news release. “Compared to other practice builds in class, students take pride in this project because it will actually become someone’s home.”

The tiny homes are small residences complete with plumbing SEE TINY HOMES, P13

’Tis the season for injuries Local ERs see increase in holiday-related cases

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Dr. Ben Usatch said while the holidays are all about joy and bringing good cheer, no member of

the family is immune to accidents that can result in an unplanned visit to the local ER. Usatch, an emergency medicine physician and medical director for UCHealth Hospital Highlands Ranch, said holiday injuries start early with the cold weather and continue with holiday decoration hanging through to Christmas, when presents are opened and can

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22

DIGITAL DETOX

Stepping away from social media

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2 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

Helping us understand what we went through Local author was frontline cashier during pandemic

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In 2019, Denver blogger Adam Kaat left his corporate job to focus on his writing.

At the time, he had the first draft of a novel completed. Kaat sought a job that was active, but not mentally draining so he could continue work on his debut novel.

Kaat, 36, secured a job in January 2020 as a cashier at a busy, high-end grocery store in Cherry Creek. He enjoyed being a point person for customer service, and especially, the social aspect of the job.

But shortly after settling in, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

By March 15, there were mask orders in place, workers had to sanitize their registers between every customer and shoppers began to hoard groceries and toiletries, Kaat said. He added there was a lot of general panic at that time.

“Everyone’s working overtime (and) being called a hero,” Kaat said. “We had no other choice than to go with the flow.”

Kaat then decided to set the novel he had been working on aside, and began to blog about being a frontline worker during an unprecedented time. The blog gained a following, and prompted to Kaat to write what would become his first

published novel: “Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic.”

The book was published in April.

It is a work of fiction, but mirrors a lot of Kaat’s experiences as a grocery store employee.

“Life on the Grocery Line” tells the story through the eyes of the character, David, a cashier at the fictional Dream Grocers store during the pandemic.

“The book shows the human side of everyday interactions that people might not think about,” Kaat said. “Hopefully, it makes you laugh, (and) think about the future and to be good to each other.”

Did anything in particular inspire you to become a writer?

I think I have always been a writer. I just needed to find the focus to sit down and write. It’s the best way for me to work through the things — both happy and sad — that happen in my life.

I did not discover my love of writing until my last year in college when I began reading more for fun and finding a wider variety of writers. I started dabbling with blogs then and I fell in love.

I enjoy meeting people and hearing their stories. My book has brought me closer to people I wouldn’t have otherwise met. It’s a fun journey.

What did you enjoy most about writing Life on the Grocery Line?

It was therapeutic to sit down

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and sort through the craziness of the early pandemic. There was a heavy burden put on grocery workers and other essential employees. With all of the uncertainty of the times, I was grateful to have a project to work on.

What can your fans expect from you next?

I am working on the sequel to “Life on the Grocery Line,” where we meet back up with Daniel a year later as he is going through his year review at work. I hope to have it out in spring of 2022.

Adam Kaat

COURTESY PHOTO

In what ways do you think people will be able to relate to “Life on the Grocery Line”?

Daniel is a normal guy thrust into unforeseen circumstances and he has to grapple with many of the problems we all went through during the first few months of the pandemic.

Hopefully, it helps us all understand what we went through.

As the pandemic wears on and we move back toward “normalcy,” I think it can help remind us how fragile everything is. I think doing that can help ground us and give a better perspective on the future.

To learn more about “Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic,” by local author Adam Kaat, visit www. lifeonthegroceryline.com. The blog can also be found on that website.

COURTESY IMAGE

Parker Days will be smaller, with local focus in 2022 Security will be emphasized at town’s signature event

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After taking two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parker Days festival will return to the town in 2022 with a smaller, more local focus.

The event will have one fewer stage than previous festivals, will only be marketed to Douglas County residents and won’t include a parade or car show, said TJ Sullivan, the CEO of the Parker Chamber of Commerce. It will also be one day shorter than in years past.

“It seems a lot of times that the job of a leader with such a big event is to make it bigger, bigger, bigger and now our mission seems to be to right-size Parker Days,” Sullivan told the town council in a Dec. 6 meeting.

The decision came after Sullivan, who started with the chamber in August, heard dozens of comments about the event from residents, business owners and town council

members, he said.

“When I started this job, I was bombarded immediately from every side with feedback on Parker Days,” he said. “Parker Days is obviously a hugely important tradition to this community.”

In 2019, the last year the event was held, organizers estimate that about 250,000 to 300,000 people attended the festival. Sullivan said his team would be comfortable with reducing that by about 15% or 20%.

“While Parker Days will never be a small event, it does not need to get out of control,” Sullivan said in an interview.

The event is hosted by the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a nonprofit organization housed within the Parker Chamber of Commerce.

There will also be an increased emphasis on safety at the 2022 event with added lighting towers, security cameras and fencing.

“We really want to make this more of a Parker event and less of a regional madhouse that some people say it became over the course of years,” Sullivan said.

SEE PARKER DAYS, P9

Centennial Citizen 3

December 23, 2021

ARAPAHOE COUNTY

Happy Holidays

Heidi Ganahl announces her run for governor on Sept. 14, 2021, at Rosie’s Diner in PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN / THE COLORADO SUN Monument.

All County offices will be closed on Thursday, December 23 and Friday, December 24 in observance of the Christmas holiday.

In rare move, 2 statewide GOP candidates to cap spending That means Ganahl, Anderson can sidestep donation limits

BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Two Republican candidates running for statewide office in Colorado next year have agreed to limit their campaign spending, a rare move that allows them to accept up to twice as much money from their donors.

Heidi Ganahl, a University of Colorado regent running for governor, and Pam Anderson, a former Jefferson County clerk running for secretary of state, both agreed to the voluntary spending constraints.

The candidates can now accept up to $2,500 from individual donors, up to $27,000 from small-donor committees and up to $271,550 from the state Republican Party.

“We can spend less time fundraising, more time talking to voters and talking about the hyper-partisan nature of that office right now,” said Anderson, who is a former executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association.

Asked about the decision, Ganahl’s campaign did not address their strategy. But a spokeswoman said that “governorships cannot be bought at an auction.”

Voters approved Amendment 27, a constitutional campaign finance overhaul, in 2002. It included limits on how much money candidates could accept from donors. But the amendment also included a loophole to those limits for candidates who agreed to keep their spending below a certain threshold.

A candidate for statewide office, legislature and a few other offices may agree to the voluntary spending limits when they first declare their candidacy. For candidates running in 2022, the limits range from $88,225 for state House candidates to $3,395,275 for candidates running for governor.

Candidates can’t raise more than the traditional limit right away, however. They must wait until an opponent raises 10% of the spending limit.

So, in the governor’s race, Ganahl could not start accepting larger donations until Gov. Jared Polis raised about $340,000. (Polis has raised $626,000 for his reelection campaign so far.)

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, has already raised about $1.3 million, far more than 10% of the voluntary spending limit.

Ganahl raised about $135,000 in the three weeks after announcing her candidacy. About 10% of her 300-plus donations during that time exceeded the $1,250 individual donation limit for other statewide candidates.

Anderson didn’t announce her candidacy until after the last quarterly fundraising reporting deadline, so her donor information isn’t yet public.

Candidates who accept the voluntary spending limits have an out.

Every time a new candidate enters their contest and doesn’t accept the voluntary spending limits, candidates who have accepted the constraints receive a letter from the secretary of state letting them know they have 10 days to back out of their pledge.

If they do abandon the spending limits, they don’t have to return any excess contributions they’ve already received. Colorado’s donation limits were second-lowest in the nation in 2018.

Anderson said she has no intention of revoking the spending limits if other candidates get in the race, but sees the spending pledge as central to her campaign for secretary of state.

Ganahl’s campaign didn’t respond about whether it would reconsider the spending limits at some point.

The Colorado Sun reviewed campaign accounts for primary candidates for governor, attorney general, SEE ELECTION, P9

We Want You!

Citizen Boards and Committees Help shape our community by serving on one of Arapahoe County’s citizen boards and committees.

When you serve as a volunteer on an advisory body, you provide input into the County’s decision making process in many areas of subject matter expertise.

In turn, the County benefits from your knowledge, experience and expertise.

Visit arapahoegov.com/citizenboards or scan the QR code with your smartphone.

Customer alert:

New License Plate Policy In 2022, Colorado law (SB21-069) will no longer allow most owners to transfer license plates to another vehicle, or keep their current plates free of charge.

For more information, call 303-205-5608 or email DOR_TRCustomerservice@state.co.us.

arapahoegov.com

4 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

Colo. flu season mild so far, but that could change Flu vaccinations are running behind last year’s pace

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Last year, Colorado’s flu season was virtually nonexistent.

Only 34 people were hospitalized for the flu during the entire 8-month season in 2020 and 2021.

There were zero reported flu deaths among kids.

This year, the flu season is, well, existent. There have been at least 36 flu hospitalizations as of Dec. 14, a number that started the month at around half that sum then doubled in a single week.

“It’s not a huge number but the fact that it doubled over the last week is concerning,” said Heather Roth, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Immunization Branch chief.

Flu vaccination rates are down compared to last year, as well.

So Roth is remaining vigilant. It would not be unprecedented for a flu season that starts out calm to roar to life after the New Year.

But there are also reasons for optimism. No kids had died from the flu as of mid-December. During the most recent pre-pandemic flu season, the 2019-20 season, nearly SEE FLU, P30

Dylan Scully of Lakewood receives a kids’ influenza vaccination from Kaiser Permanente registered nurse Amy Roscoe, right, while visiting a Kaiser Permanente outdoor flu vaccination center in Ken Caryl with his mother, Jennifer Scully, left, on Sept. 18, PHOTO BY ANDY COLWELL 2020.

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Centennial Citizen 5

6 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

Denver business offers ‘water cremation’ as end-of-life alternative Be a Tree Cremation calls it a greener way

BY ALEXIS KIKOEN ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Let’s talk about death.

“It’s really a Western culture thing, this death denial,” says Emily Nelson. “Where we just don’t really think about it or talk about it and it’s just become rather taboo.”

Nelson, the founder and CEO of Be a Tree Cremation in Denver, believes there is more to death than traditional practices.

“Our current conventional method of burial and cremation really perpetuates the idea that somehow we’re separate from nature as humans. We’re not … We don’t need to be preserved in any way,” Nelson says.

Be a Tree Cremation, the second facility of its kind in Colorado, specializes in the process of water cremation — technically known as “alkaline hydrolysis.” The process, which was legalized in Colorado in 2011, is surprisingly simple.

“The decedent gets loaded directly into this vessel,” says Nelson, motioning to a large cylindrical metal tube behind her. Then, water is pumped into the vessel along with a small amount of potassium hydroxide. The mixture mimics the natural decomposition process and gently dissolves the body, she says.

When the process is finished, all

Emily Nelson is CEO of Be a Tree Cremation in Denver, which offers an alternative to traditional end-of-life services.

PHOTO BY ALEXIS KIKOEN/ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

that remains in the vessel are skeletal remains and things like gold teeth and artificial joints from surgeries such as knee replacements.

The skeletal remains are ground into ashes for the family. Other items are safely recycled.

The process also creates a nutrient-dense liquid branded as “Tree Tea.” Family members have the option to purchase small bottles of the liquid to use as nourishment for their plants at home.

Nelson says water cremation

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is one of the most natural and environmentally-friendly ways to return to the earth, which is what originally inspired her to research the process.

“At Be a Tree Cremation, we really have two goals,” she explains. “To help people live on through nature, and to reduce the carbon footprint of the funeral industry, which is not insignificant.”

The process of water cremation uses about 90% less energy than typical flame cremations, Nelson says, adding that flame cremations also emit the same amount of carbon dioxide as a 600-mile road trip.

“We have no emissions or smoke coming from our building,” says Nelson.

Prior to opening Be a Tree in Sun Valley, Nelson worked with a corporation that owns over 2,000 funeral homes across the county.

“At that point I really saw behind the curtain of conventional burial and cremation work, and just didn’t feel right about it. I just knew there had to be a different option for people,” Nelson says.

Cremations have only recently surpassed burials as the most popular end-of-life option. According to 2019 estimates from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), by 2040 “the cremation rate in the U.S. is projected to be 78.7% while the burial rate is predicted to be just 15.7%, signifying that cremation is no fading trend.”

A traditional fire cremation is estimated to produce an average of 534.6 pounds of carbon dioxide per person. As journalist Eleanor Cummins noted in a report this month for Wired, that is a higher figure than the per capita emissions of Afghanistan.

Be a Tree Cremation currently has one water cremation system and works with about 10 clients per month. From start to finish, the process takes about 18 hours.

“Realistically we can really only work with one person a day,” says Nelson. “Once we hit one person a day in the month, we’ll really be at capacity here and start looking at other ways that we can serve more people.”

Nelson says Be a Tree’s packages

start at $2,250 and they include water cremation, transportation and a basic urn. That is significantly cheaper than the average burial process. A casket alone costs an average of $2,000, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In 2019, the cost of burials in Colorado averaged $6,907 while the average cremation came out to $4,517, according to data from the NFDA. While Be a Tree’s process is timeconsuming, having fewer clients means that Emily and her team can work closely and intentionally with each family. Appointments are often filled with music requested by the decedent’s family, while incense, sage, and candles are lit.

“Even though this is a really technology-driven process, it’s still a person, and it’s still someone’s loved one,” says Nelson.

Apart from what the family takes home, the majority of the liquid is sent to Half Moon Farm in Lakewood to be used on flowers and other non-edible plants. The partnership between Be a Tree Cremation and Half Moon Farm started about a year ago, when both facilities opened.

“It’s one of the healthiest ways in returning us back to the earth,” says Eric Rooney, owner and “chief plant companion” at Half Moon Farm.

“Everything that’s in our fertilizers is what’s in this liquid,” says Rooney. They regularly test the Tree Tea, which is a non-toxic solution of amino acids, peptides, sugars, and soap. The exact makeup “will vary from person to person,” says Nelson.

The flowers from Half Moon Farm travel all over Colorado — to weddings, funerals, dinner parties, and a variety of other celebrations.

“It’s an opportunity for people to look at the story of life,” says Rooney, “and this regenerative idea behind us going back to our most physical sense, the earth.”

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online.

Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

Centennial Citizen 7

December 23, 2021

2022 Beautiful Paws calendar available for purchase Calendar sales benefit pets at Denver shelter

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Not only is Bandit the “biggest cuddle bug in the world,” according to his owner Kaylee Riggi of Washington Park, the 3-year-old border collie is a calendar model.

Bandit is one of 13 metro-area pets featured in the Denver Animal Shelter’s 2022 Beautiful Paws calendar, a fundraiser for the Denver Animal Shelter.

Shelter pets are sometimes undervalued, Riggi said. But they’re lovable and “cute, and deserving of being in a calendar.”

Between July 31 and Aug. 28 this summer, people voted on their favorite pet photo, which were submitted by local pet ownersfor a contest fee. A total of 83 pets were entered into the contest — many of them were adopted from a shelter, like Bandit, and are now in loving homes.

Each vote cost $1, and the contest garnered 10,504 votes. Combining the proceeds from the votes and contest entry fees, $8,658.78 went to supporting the Denver Animal Shelter.

“This calendar goes a long way to raising dollars that help us care for the more than 12,000 animals that find their way to our shelter each year,” said Tammy Vigil, spokesperson for the Denver Animal Shelter. “Without these additional dollars, we could not

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provide the extra care and attention that these often-frightened and homeless animals deserve.”

The 13 pets with the highest number of votes won a professional photo shoot with Gaelle Pet Photography, to be featured in the 2022 calendar.

The calendar is now available for purchase. Cost is $20 or $26, depending on the wall calendar size preferred.

Proceeds from the calendar sales also benefit the Denver Animal Shelter.

“There’s hundreds and hundreds of homeless animals in Denver,” Riggi said, who formerly worked and volunteered at the shelter. She heard about the contest through a friend and decided to enter Bandit. “The Denver Animal Shelter does so much good for these animals.”

The Denver Animal Shelter is an arm of Denver Animal Protection, which is a division of the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment. It is an open-admission shelter, meaning no animal will be turned away, and is dedicated to reuniting lost pets with their owners and adopting pets to loving homes, among other services to serve as a community resource.

“Every single calendar that someone buys means they are giving an abandoned animal a chance to find a home, a chance to know love and a chance to live a life of meaning and security — some for the first time ever,” Vigil said.

To purchase the Denver Animal Shelter’s 2022 Beautiful Paws calendar, visit tinyurl.com/2022BeautifulPaws. It is recommended to order the calendar by Dec. 17 for it to arrive by Dec. 24 with standard shipping.

Smokey is one of the 13 local pets featured in the Denver Animal Shelter’s 2022 Beautiful Paws calendar. Proceeds from calendar sales benefit the shelter.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAELLE PET PHOTOGRAPHY

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8 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

Meet Littleton’s new dog mayor (and mayor pro tem) Election drew over 6,000 votes in race between canine candidates

BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Murdoch, a 5-year-old basset hound, won the election to be Littleton’s first-ever honorPHOTOS BY ROBERT TANN ary dog mayor.

The Littleton Symphony Orchestra Jurgen de Lemos, Conductor presents

A Night in Vienna

Littleton has a new leader. He likes belly rubs and smelling the flowers when he walks.

Murdoch, a 5-year-old basset hound, will be the city’s first honorary dog mayor after winning the recent election hosted by the nonprofit Historic Littleton Inc. that ended midday Dec. 7.

“We’re very, very excited about it,” said Beverly Pillow, Murdoch’s owner. “He will be a great mascot for the city.”

Between Nov. 1 and Nov. 22, Historic Littleton rallied owners to nominate their dogs to serve as Littleton’s new canine cheerleader, with 10 candidates making the final cut before voting began.

Over the next two weeks, Historic Littleton received more than 6,000 votes for the dog mayor election, according to Katherine Roxborough, a board member who led the project.

Murdoch beat out the nine other candidates with 2,495 votes. He is joined by Netty, a 6-year-old French bulldog, who will serve as mayor pro tem after coming in second with 2,194 votes.

Kalena Murib, Netty’s owner, said she was constantly checking results in the leadup to election day as Netty and Murdoch jockeyed back-and-forth in a nail-biting matchup. But she believes Netty will be a great No. 2 alongside the new dog mayor.

“They’re going to be real good friends, and that doesn’t always happen in politics,” she said with

a laugh. “People love dogs, it will create good conversation, it will s be a good way of sharing informa- i tion.” a The election also served as a l campaign for Historic Littleton to further its mission of educating c residents about Littleton’s history. f During the nomination process, o D dogs were often photographed outside landmark sites throughout t the city. For Pillow, it presented a t unique opportunity to experience i a place that she and her husband a have called home for decades.

“The history that we found out inc the City of Littleton was amazing to us,” Pillow said. “We had quite n an education … it’s been a really, t e really cool experience for us.”

Roxborough, the Historic Little- t ton board member, said that vot- fi ers’ involvement in the dog mayoral election showed the strength a t of the city’s community.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled,” “ she said. “The fact that we were able to get over 6,000 votes I think t t is telling of how many people responded to this and wanted to participate, and it was such a great f a way to engage a community in something that is fun, and behind u 2 the fun there’s education.” o After finding success, Roxborough said the nonprofit intends to hold future dog mayoral elections m every two years to coincide with s o the city’s council elections. v Murdoch and Netty are set to t take up their new roles during a barking-in ceremony tentatively T set for Jan. 18, according to Rox- m borough. From then, they’ll serve t as the city’s newest mascots and y will be featured in future city events and Historic Littleon tours. n “It’s been a really awesome ex- o perience for us and for Murdoch,” a Pillow said. “I mean, if he could talk he could tell you all these re- e m ally cool things.” t m m

Music by Schubert, Brahms, Lehar, Strauss and More to help you ring in 2022!

Friday, December 31, 2021 | 6:30 pm Littleton United Methodist Church 5894 S. Datura Street

Concert followed by a tribute to Music Director Jurgen de Lemos and dessert reception.

Tickets available at eventbrite.com www.littletonsymphony.org or (303)933-6824 Due to Covid-19 protocols, Littleton Symphony tickets are only available in advance online or by phone. We will not be selling tickets at the door.

Masks and proof of vaccination are required for entry.

Netty, a 6-year-old French bulldog, will join Murdoch as mayor pro tem.

Centennial Citizen 9

December 23, 2021

ELECTION FROM PAGE 3

secretary of state and treasurer in 2014 and 2018 and found none accepted the voluntary spending limits.

Brad Levin, a Democrat who competed for attorney general but failed to make the primary ballot, originally accepted the limits. But David Fine, his attorney, wrote to the Secretary of State’s Office that the acceptance was an error by Fine in filling out forms.

Legislative candidates more often accept the limits, but, like in Levin’s case, some have done so in error.

State Rep. Tom Sullivan, a Centennial Democrat, initially accepted the limits for his 2018 campaign in error. He was able to withdraw from the limits when another candidate filed to run for the House seat.

Sullivan is running for a state Senate seat in 2022, but isn’t accepting the voluntary limits.

“I’ll never do that again,” he said.

“It doesn’t do you any good if you’re the only one trying to fight the righteous fight.”

Suzanne Taheri, a Republican and former deputy secretary of state, accepted the limits when she ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2020. But she never raised money over the contribution limits.

“I never asked people for (more money) or advertised that I did it,” she said. “Part of it is, just a lot of people don’t understand what voluntary limits are. Most consultants will tell you not to take them.

They’re focused on how much money you’re going to raise, so they’re trying to get you to not limit yourself.”

Successful candidates, who did not accept the spending limits, often outspent them, a Colorado Sun analysis found.

In 2010, former Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, spent $3.9 million on his campaign, when the voluntary cap was about $2.7 million. Two candidates who didn’t make the general election ballot

PARKER DAYS FROM PAGE 3

The plan is for the festival to have three stages: a main stage, a community stage and a demonstration stage for things like cooking presentations.

For music, the event will feature more local bands with a focus on fun, upbeat party music.

The chamber foundation plans to work with TailGate Brewery to incorporate their stage and music as well, Sullivan said. Organizers are also adding a silent disco for the festival.

All carnival rides, including those for young children, will be located at Carnival Hill, north of O’Brien Park. The carnival will shut down at 10:15 each night instead of midnight.

The Mainstreet festivities will also be limited, stretching from O’Brien Park to Pine Drive instead of reaching past the PACE Center, Sullivan said.

that year, former Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat who opted not to run, and former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis, a Republican who lost the primary, each spent $2 million.

In 2014, Hickenlooper spent nearly $5.5 million on his gubernatorial reelection campaign, while his Republican opponent Bob Beauprez spent $2.9 million, about the same amount as that year’s voluntary limit.

In 2018, GOP gubernatorial candidate Walker Stapleton spent about $4 million on his campaign, well over the $3.1 million voluntary limit. Victor Mitchell, one of Stapleton’s three unsuccessful primary opponents, spent $5 million, most of it his own money.

The Polis campaign spent $23.8 million, almost all of it the candidate’s own money, to win in 2018.

He’s already given $438,000 from his personal fortune into his 2022 campaign.

Polis limits his individual campaign contributions to $200, but his personal wealth means he’s got millions to spend on next year’s campaign.

Taheri said she thinks it makes sense for Ganahl and Anderson to accept the voluntary spending limits.

“I think it makes sense in the governor’s race and the secretary of state’s race,” Taheri said. “You can’t raise that much money. It’s hard to raise $3.4 million. Then you don’t have to spend as much time fundraising if your donor base has the capacity to give you bigger donations.”

And outside groups often spend more than candidates in statewide contests. In the 2018 gubernatorial contest, for instance, Republican outside groups spent $14.5 million while Democratic groups spent $10.5 million.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com.

The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

While people from outside the community are welcome at the event, organizers won’t dedicate as much money to marketing to those outside town for the 2022 event. In the past, marketing efforts have stretched as far as Nebraska, Sullivan said.

“I want people to see their neighbors and friends and local folks,” he said. “And if that means a little less revenue from the carnival I’m OK with that.”

The event is scheduled to take place from June 10-12, pending the permit process with the town.

Updates on the event will be posted to the website ParkerDaysFestival.com beginning at the end of January.

“We realize with a festival this size it’s impossible to please everybody 100%,” Sullivan said.

“But hopefully, having taken a few years off due to COVID, I hope we’re making some moves that will make this festival more of an asset and less of a stressor on the town and the businesses.”

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10 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

Englewood man coping after losing wife, granddaughter in crash

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Diana “Dee” Snell was killed in a crash on U.S. 285 at Kings Valley in August.

Jordan “JoJo” Snell, 2, also was killed in the crash.

Amber Snell has a severe traumatic brain injury after the crash that killed her mom and younger daughter.

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Imagine waking up from your worst nightmare, and it’s all true.

Frank Snell of Englewood lost his wife Diana and 2-year-old granddaughter Jordan in a tragic traffic accident on U.S. 285 at Kings Valley on Aug. 26.

He feels lucky that his son Adam and daughter Amber survived the crash, though Amber has a severe traumatic brain injury. It is uncertain what her care will look like when she is able to come home from the hospital. Adam also has a traumatic brain injury, though less severe, and he is out of the hospital but still going through therapy to overcome the impairments.

Frank, son Andrew and granddaughter Aliyah were not in the truck Diana, who was known as Dee, was driving.

Frank’s days now are spent caring for 5-year-old Aliyah, wading through medical bills, insurance claims and more, visiting daily with Amber who is still at Craig Hospital, working at his job and trying to finish home remodeling projects he started before the crash.

There are many sleepless nights as he worries about how to keep everything together especially with Dee gone. Dee was the backbone for her husband, three grown children and two granddaughters, always there, always taking care of things for the family, Frank said.

Frank marvels at everything Dee could get done while also working for an auto parts company. Dee left that job in July 2020 when Frank had a stroke and had just gone back to work when Frank had a heart attack two months before the crash.

“Things don’t get done right without her,” Frank explained.

Frank thanks the people who jumped out of their vehicles to help his family immediately after the crash, sure that because of their aid before first responders arrived, his son and daughter are still alive. He also thanks those who sat in traffic for up to five hours on U.S. 285 while first responders did their jobs.

Frank listens to a song called “Jealous of the Angels” every day because the lyrics are comforting, so much so that Aliyah has learned the words. The first stanza says: “I didn’t know today would be our last, Or that I’d have to say goodbye to you so fast, I’m so numb I can’t feel anymore, Prayin’ you’d just walk back through that door.”

A few seconds changed Frank’s family forever.

On the way home from the family’s annual camping trip to Twin Lakes, Dee’s truck, which was pulling a camper heading northbound on U.S. 285, was hit by a truck, whose driver had passed vehicles on the shoulder at a high speed, crossed a double yellow line and hit her truck head-on.

“In a period of less than 10 seconds, one person’s choice has dramatically changed my entire family’s lives,” Frank said.

JoJo Snell, foreground, with her big sister Aliyah, 5.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Snell family. Donate at https://gofund. me/802809fc.

Centennial Citizen 11

December 23, 2021

CRASH FROM PAGE 11

A strong family Frank knew Dee Davis was The One before their first date. They met while cruising Colfax Avenue in December 1984 when he was 19 and she was 18, and he said the conversation between them was easy and natural.

They married in May 1985, and Amber was born in May 1986, followed by Adam in 1990 and Andrew in 1991.

The family lived in Wheat Ridge for eight years before moving to Englewood, where Dee had grown up and graduated from Englewood High School in 1984. They have always been a tightknit family with Amber and her daughters, Aliyah and Jordan, called JoJo by her family, living with Frank and Dee. Every year, the entire family went camping at Twin Lakes to fish, enjoy being outdoors and unwind.

“That was her place,” he said of Dee. Dee also loved wolves and gardening, and Frank plans to have a bench made to be placed near the garden at their home as a tribute to her.

Frank tries to keep Aliyah on a schedule as she attends kindergarten and afterschool care, but she won’t

sleep in the bedroom she shared with little sister JoJo. Aliyah believes a star in the western night sky is her grandma and JoJo watching over them.

JoJo, being the younger sister, learned quickly that she could get what she wanted, though she was fiercely protective of Aliyah.

“She was an amazing little girl,” Frank said of JoJo. “She had the biggest heart. … I will never see her grow up.”

Amber had a diffuse axonal injury, which means the two sides of her brain don’t communicate with each other.

She still can’t walk, though she is slowly gaining back movement. Her short-term memory is impaired, and at this point, she doesn’t know she lost her youngest daughter and her mother.

“Why add to her pain now?” Frank asked. “I’ll tell her when she can process what has happened. Amber will never be the same. She will always have limitations.

As bad as this affects me, I can’t imagine what it must be like for Amber.”

Moving forward Frank spends his days trying to move forward but said it’s like one step forward and two steps back. He says he’s worried he will lose the house now that his household is down to one income.

He is doing his best with

Aliyah, though he adds, “As things go along, I know I’m screwing up. I keep waiting for Dee to come through the door to fix it.”

He takes comfort in the emotional support from friends, extended family and the community.

Frank says two months ago he sent an email to Gov. Jared Polis, wanting to discuss the criminal justice system as it pertains to repeat-offending drivers on the roadways like the man who caused the crash that killed Dee and JoJo, a system he calls screwed up. That man had alcohol/drug arrests and DUI convictions, and he was arrested three weeks prior to the crash for vehicular eluding, reckless driving and more. So far, Frank has not gotten a response from Polis’ office.

Each day is filled with going through the motions because there’s so much to do, and he works hard not to think about the “what ifs:” What if he had been driving immediately in front of Dee rather than heading home first? What if they hadn’t stopped for lunch or if they had stayed longer? That list is long, but that kind of thinking doesn’t help the here and now, he explained.

“I know what happened,” he said, “but I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. This is going to be hard. I know that. It’s so much harder without Dee.”

Dee Snell holds baby JoJo.

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12 Centennial Citizen

LOCAL

December 23, 2021

VOICES

Preoccupied with being preoccupied this holiday season

W

henever I am together with a group of family and friends and I notice people preoccupied with their phones, I ask them, “Are you texting me?” Or, if I happen to have everyone’s cell phone number, I will send them all a group text, “Are you texting me?” Both usually get a chuckle and now, if I happen to get caught doing something on my phone, someone invariably sends me that same text or just asks me if I am texting them.

Maybe a little truth in humor?

My example is a simple scenario and one that is unfortunately played out in more homes and at work than any of us cares to admit. Did the pandemic make it worse as we became bored and went in search of ways to entertain ourselves? And now that we are back to work or in some kind of hybrid work environment, is our preoccupation more of a habit that gets under the skin of those around us? Or are others too preoccupied as well, lost in whatever is happening on their own devices?

Maybe a little truth in reality?

Our kids will basically give us

an “Oh dad” or “C’mon mom.”

Our friends might just say, “Dude, I am just checking the score” or “You gotta see this TikTok.” Although, whenever someone invites me to look at a TikTok, I really have no Michael Norton idea what that’s all about and I am not that interested in finding out either. I am sure next year there will be something that replaces it and will be so much cooler, something cool enough for a supercool guy like me to want to check out.

Maybe a little truth in lack of generational awareness?

During a recent dinner out with our associates I couldn’t help but notice at the table next to us was a couple. They appeared to be married and I would guess somewhere in their 40s. They sat across from one another looking at their phones. No conversation.

I thought that they might just be looking at the online menu. But after the server came and took their order, they remained glued

WINNING WORDS

to their phones. Perhaps their favorite mode of communication is texting one another, and that was what they could have been doing.

As dinner came out, they placed their phones on the table next to their dishes and continued to scroll as they ate.

Maybe a little truth in my preoccupation with others being preoccupied?

Here we are, at the end of the year. The holiday season provides us with incredible opportunities to connect, really connect with our family and friends. Thanksgiving set the table for our attitude of gratitude, for the sharing of love and appreciation, and for remembering those who are so very important to us. And as we roll into December, with its celebrations of Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve, it has given us even more time and opportunities to remember the true reason for this season, share family stories, exaggerate the myths and legends of friendship experiences that only get better with time, and just “be” with one another. We can talk about life and our future goals and dreams.

We can remember loved ones who

a h i A S

are no longer with us but whose memories fill the room with laughter and joy. a Maybe we can all become a littles more occupied with not being so f D preoccupied? o What if we were intentional about being present in the pres- w ent? What if we tried only using e v our phone to take pictures and wait until later to post them on s social media? What if we used l our phones and devices to only make calls and virtually see our o family and friends who we could a not be with us this holiday sea- t son? What if we took baby steps T and just called for an hour of be- l ing technology-free this holiday B season? I would love to hear your l preoccupation story at mnorton@ n tramazing.com, and when we can focus on those who are right in t f front of us with greater intentionality, it really will be a better c than good year. t s f Michael Norton is the grateful n CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a a consultant, trainer, encourager, t and motivator to businesses of all C V sizes. i S n

Some tax planning ideas for year’s end

A

nother year is in the review mirror and what a year it has been! The stock market is up (and down), inflation is rising, and interest rates remain low. You may be under or over employed, working from home, or commuting. This year’s challenges may create opportunities for last-minute tax savings, so it is always good to have a plan.

There are still some last-minute tax planning ideas you can do even with just a few days left. With significant unknowns around potential tax law in 2022, it may be best to take advantage of what you can for 2021.

1. Review your investments for gains if you want to trim profits and utilize the current long-term capital gains rates. You can also harvest losses if you are in the camp of looking for deductions yet this year.

2. Determine if this year is the perfect time to convert some of your pre-tax money to a Roth IRA.

I N D E P E N D E N T An edition of the Littleton Independent A publication of

A publication of

Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: CentennialCitizen.net To subscribe call 303-566-4100

Low current tax rates, along with low income if your job was eliminated this year, could provide you with a long-term, tax-free benefit.

3. Contribute to a SEP, IRA, or Solo 401(k) or max out your last paycheck Patricia Kummer on 401(k) contributions.

4. Consider paying your estimated state income taxes in December instead of January. There may still be a chance that the deduction limit for state and local tax (SALT) may be increased before year-end.

5. If the Build Back Better legislation does pass with the increased SALT limit, consider paying your property tax in December instead of next April to take a bigger deduction this year. Then next year, you would have no property tax due, but you can still take the

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

standard deduction.

6. Consider charitable donations, especially if you are able to itemize. If you have a large income tax bill, you can even open and fund a donor-advised fund before yearend. This allows you to take the full tax deduction this year, while providing plenty of time in the future to plan out which charities receive donations.

7. Don’t forget to take your required minimum distribution (RMD) if you are age 72 or older.

You did not need to take one last year due to COVID, so it may not be on your radar. However, there is a 50% penalty for not taking the correct amount. Also, don’t forget you can send all or part of your RMD to charity, up to $100,000, even without itemizing your taxes.

8. Review your qualified business interest deductions if you own a small business. You may be eligible to fully deduct up to 20% of your business income. This

p d s gives you an instant benefit if you s are eligible.

N 9. You may want to make a large u purchase for your business as this year’s Section 179 is higher than e it has ever been, up to $1,050,000. a C This allows you to write off an eligible business expense instead i n of depreciating it over time.

Now it is time to enjoy the holi- C days and get ready for next year.

The retirement plan contributions 4 will increase by $1,000 for 401(k)s r to $20,500 plus the $6,000 catch up 4 for those over age 50. IRA and Rothi IRA limits remain unchanged h at $6,000 plus a $1,000 catch- up contribution. Make sure you are a eligible to deduct your IRA based i C on your income and employer m retirement plans. h i Patricia Kummer has been a Certified Financial Planner profes- t sional and a fiduciary for over 35 years and is Managing Director for C Mariner Wealth Advisors, an SEC C t Registered Investment Adviser. f c

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Centennial Citizen 13

December 23, 2021

TINY HOMES FROM PAGE 1

and electricity capability that will house people at a tiny-home village in Denver once they’re completed in April, according to a Cherry Creek School District news release.

“Tiny home villages provide a safe, dignified and alternative sheltering model for people coming from unsheltered homelessness in Denver,” Colorado Village Collaborative, the organization partnering with the school district on the project, said in a news release. “These villages bridge the gap between the streets and stable housing.”

In 2017, the City of Denver’s first legal community of tiny homes opened along 38th Street, giving a small number of people a lift in their struggle to exit homelessness.

The Colorado Village Collaborative launched the community, called Beloved Community Village, which later moved to the city’s Globeville neighborhood.

The Colorado Village Collaborative later opened a tiny-home village for women and transgender women climbing out of homelessness.

To the organization’s knowledge, the women’s village was to be the second-ever legal tiny home village for people experiencing homelessness in the Denver metro area, according to Cole Chandler, executive director of the Colorado Village Collaborative. Named the Women’s Village at Clara Brown Commons, it sits near 37th Avenue and York Street, not far from the Five Points neighborhood.

The first Cherry Creek students’ project to build tiny homes occurred during the 2019-20 school year: The students at Innovation Campus built six units for the women’s village.

Now, students are building five units.

The units will be finished at the end of the students’ spring semester and will be delivered to the Beloved Community Village’s new location in late April or early May, said Jennifer Forker, a spokesperson for the Colorado Village Collaborative.

The Beloved village will soon sit at 4201 N. Monroe St. when the village relocates from its current location at 4400 N. Pearl St. by April 30, according to the organization.

Since 2017, the organization’s tinyhome program has grown considerably from its 11-unit origin, according to the collaborative. In 2021, CVC’s two tiny-home villages served more than 45 people, 11 of whom have graduated from the villages into permanent housing this year, the organization says.

At the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, high school students in the Cherry Creek School District come to learn skills in several trades — from construction management to cybersecurity.

This year’s build includes firstyear and second-year students in CCIC’s Infrastructure Engineering pathway, according to the Colorado Village Collaborative.

The organization has also worked with Denver to provide another kind of shelter. In July 2020, the Denver Mayor’s Office announced a partnership with the Colorado Village Collaborative to open “Safe Outdoor Spaces,” according to the organization’s website. The Safe

The Colorado Village Collaborative team that observed the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus students working on Dec. 9 poses for COURTESY PHOTOS a photo.

Documents related to the tiny home project lie in a pile.

Outdoor Spaces are “secure, staffed, resource- and service-rich environments” for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, the website says.

The first two Safe Outdoor Spaces had “successfully operated” in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood starting in December 2020, the website says.

An entity called EarthLinks opened the first Safe Outdoor Space site at First Baptist Church, and Colorado Village Collaborative opened the second site at Denver Community Church. Those were the first two locations in Denver, according to Forker.

Some of Colorado Village Collaborative’s funding comes from the City of Denver, Forker said. The organization also receives funding from “generous individuals, foundations and business donors,” Forker added.

The Cherry Creek Innovation Campus is located at 8000 S. Chambers Road near East Broncos Parkway. It sits in the Dove Valley area of unincorporated Arapahoe County, just outside central Centennial.

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14 Centennial Citizen

LOCAL

December 23, 2021

LIFE

Why some people take ‘digital detoxes’ and what mental health experts have to say

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

F

or weeks, Jordan Novinger debated breaking up with Twitter.

In the span of a couple months, the Castle Rock resident had gained a following of several thousand. She spent hours talking with people online. Although she made new friends in the process, the 21-year-old also felt pressured to stay engaged.

At work, Novinger tried to resist a persistent temptation to check her accounts. Physically, Novinger was present, she said. Mentally, she was not. Her iPhone’s screen time report showed on some days Novinger spent up to four hours on Twitter.

In early December, Novinger cut the cord. She deleted Twitter. She took a break from Instagram too, which she steps away from periodically.

Since then, Novinger works more. She feels more productive. She is more inclined to pick up the phone and have a conversation with someone. She can’t leave Instagram permanently because she uses the site for work, but she hopes she’s made “a clean break” from Twitter.

“It was such an addiction,” she said.

The word is ‘toxic’ Several people in the Denver metro area who have taken short-term “digital detoxes” or left a platform forever all described social media with the same word: Toxic.

They offered up a laundry list of reasons why.

Screen addiction. Never feeling present. Rampant misinformation. Political fights. Hateful comment sections. The comparison game. Misleading highlight reels. The pressure to curate one’s life instead of simply live it.

Eventually, they all hit a breaking point.

The concept of undergoing a “digital detox” is increasing in popularity, according to a 2020 study published in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science that looked at the practice’s impact on well-being.

And while a whopping share of the population still uses social media — about 72% of all Americans do, according to the Pew Research Center — growth on numerous sites is slowing or stagnant.

The number of people on social media has remained relatively stable over the past five years, Pew’s Social Media Use in 2021 report says. Growth on platforms including Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat has remained statistically unchanged since 2019.

“This represents a broader trend that extends beyond the past two years in which the rapid adoption of most of these sites and apps seen in the last decade has slowed,” Pew’s report states.

Reddit and YouTube are exceptions. Pew surveys found YouTube is the nation’s most-used social media platform and has shown a marked increase in growth since 2019. Facebook and Instagram are the next most popular sites.

Pew’s study acknowledges “a string of controversies” facing social media sites — like their management of misinformation or privacy concerns — and “the public’s relatively negative sentiments” about some parts of social media.

Pew surveying found 64% of American believe social media has “a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country today.”

At least one mental health expert said while much other public scrutiny rightfully focuses on social media’s effects for young people, she’d like to see more research and attention on its ramifications across age demographics.

“It’s not just about kids,” Diane Thompson said, a psychiatrist with Centura Health.

The individuals who spoke to Colorado Community Media about departing social media ranged in age from 21 to 37. All said they were glad they left. Each emphatically encouraged others to give it a try.

“I would love for people to get off of social media. I think it’s just draining, and it can be so negative and toxic,” Novinger said. “While it can be good, I think most of the it’s not used for good.”

Taking the plunge Evergreen couple Jace and Taylor Jackson, both 30, recently completed a six-week detox from Instagram and have significantly scaled back their use of other platforms.

“I am shocked by how I have really broken the addictive, gotta click the button and check it,” Taylor said.

Social media became a routine part of their lives after their introduction to Myspace as high school and college students. In time, they joined several platforms. Jace said he’s known for a while that social media had become “a toxic presence in my life.”

“I want to rule social media. I don’t want it to rule me, and I think as soon as it crosses that line, I need to take matters into my own hands,” Jace said.

A book called The Comfort Crisis about inspired him to reconnect with the real world.

Jace and Taylor, avid outdoors explorers, also noticed they felt better after backpacking trips during which they rarely checked their phones.

So the duo made a plan to stay off Instagram for a month. Then they enjoyed leaving so much they extended the break another two weeks.

During that time, the couple crushed books, Jace said. They bought “an old-fashioned alarm clock” and charged their phones in the kitchen instead of their bedroom, avoiding the urge to scroll at night. The Jacksons slept better, they found. By day, Taylor stopped filling every free moment with a screen.

Another habit they broke by detoxing — incessantly taking photos. The couple recently got dressed up and attended a holiday party without taking a single picture, they said. Taylor’s main goal during her detox was to be more present.

She also doesn’t like the comparison game people can get trapped in on social media, particularly when feeds are often carefully curated highlight reels of someone’s life, she said.

“I think creating your own reel can steal the joy of what you’re trying to capture,” Taylor said. “You’re constantly trying to frame your life

in a certain way.”

She’s not alone in that thinking. Comparing her life to virtual realities drove Alex Williams, 23, to leave Instagram as well, although she hopes it’s a permanent move for her.

Williams deleted the app after graduating high school. She went from checking it daily, then weekly, to about once a month before ditching the site altogether. Williams needed to protect her wellbeing, she said.

“The hardest thing for my mental health was all of the diet culture that’s pushed, especially on Instagram,” she said. “It just painted such a fake version of reality that I figured out, first of all, I could never achieve, and second of all, never wanted to.”

After leaving the platform, the negative feelings she experienced when using Instagram completely evaporated, she said.

She checks Reddit every so often and finds dog videos on TikTok amusing. Most of her social media consumption has shifted to YouTube. She listens to podcasts or watches cooking videos.

Williams prefers that content because recipes are something she can recreate in her other free time, and cooking makes her happy.

She considers returning to Instagram every few months. Williams could try setting up healthy boundaries for herself, she said, but she hasn’t caved yet.

“I don’t see myself doing it,” she said.

Jeremy Myles said he too is done with one site forever. Myles set up his Facebook profile in 2009. Ten years later, he was done.

The 37-year-old got rid of Facebook partly out of concerns with data privacy, but also because of “the toxicity” and “how much hate was being spewed online.” Time after time, he said, he became frustrated seeing Facebook friends share misinformation, or watching loved ones get into online political squabbles.

If he joined the spats, Myles never felt better.

“Every one of those arguments was with somebody who I loved or respected,” he said. “I didn’t want to contribute to it anymore.”

Myles said he also noticed some of his friends and family, many in the Boomer generation, routinely got sucked into comment sections. Over time they seemed to grow generally angrier and more frustrated people.

“It’s sad to watch,” he said.

He encourages his parents to avoid the comments, where “people can be so hateful and angry,” he said. If he wants to hold a serious conversation with someone in his life, he tries to do that in-person, rather than from behind a keyboard.

He keeps ups with news on Twitter and is more inclined to engage on that platform but aims to do so sparingly, he said. In the future, Myles might consider using Facebook for business purposes.

“I am absolutely from a personal perspective not going to return to Facebook,” he said.

Expert insight Mental health and media professionals said there is limited research available about psychological benefits of leaving social media.

The study that examined digital detoxes’ effect on wellness said while commentators have advocated for social media breaks, “little work has examined the effectiveness of taking time off of social media.”

The study did not find a measurable positive effect on wellbeing from digital detoxing, it said, SEE BREAK UP, P15

Centennial Citizen 15

December 23, 2021

BREAK UP FROM PAGE 14

but acknowledged limitations around its data.

The study did not find a measurable positive effect on wellbeing from digital detoxing, it said, but acknowledged limitations around its data.

The experiment comprised three field groups — 248 people in the U.K., 199 in the U.S. and 203 in the Hong Kong. Some spent one day abstaining from social media while a subgroup participated for two days, comparing a social-media free day to a day of normal use.

They then rated their satisfaction with their day, the feeling of social connectedness, and its positive and negative effects on them. People reported feeling less connection or relatedness while staying off social media, the study said, and no difference in their well-being by abstaining from their socials.

The study recruited a smaller number of participants than it wanted and could not say confidently people were truthful about whether they stayed off platforms. About half of people said it was difficult to give up social media for the day. That was in fact one reason for the shortness of the study.

“The time scope of these experiments was necessarily narrow as we were concerned about participant compliance and retention. The shortterm effects observed in our studies might not generalize to longer periods of social media abstinence,” the study

states.

Despite the slowdown, social media use did climb some during the pandemic, Lynn Schofield Clark said. Clark chairs the University of Denver’s department of media, film and journalism studies.

That was likely for pragmatic reasons, she said, like work-related tasks and the need to stay connected.

“I think that the urge to take time away from social media has to be understood in relation to the generalized feeling of exhaustion we all have due to heightened stress,” Clark said.

People use social media to keep up with those who matter to them, “and connection is protective against mental stress and mental illness,” Clark said.

In addition to pointing to the study published in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, Clark added that some people are leaving social media — namely Facebook and Instagram — for reasons other than wellness. That might be their desire for heightened regulations or concerns with privacy violations.

“It’s too early to see whether or not this is a trend that will have an effect on these and other companies, but Jack Dorsey’s departure from Twitter is interesting in this regard,” Clark said.

Thompson, the Centura Health psychiatrist, said social media isn’t all bad if people can master limiting their exposure to toxic content or people and maximize how it makes them feel connected.

“There are times where social media can be a great way to connect,” Thompson said.

She’s still an advocate for breaking away from social media when needed.

Thompson has said her clients sometimes come in overwhelmed by comments they receive or see on social media.

Occasionally, she has written a prescription for her client to stay off whatever platform is bothering them.

She says it works.

“There is a discernable difference between the last time I saw them and how they were feeling,” she said.

Social media addictions or too much screen time can be taxing on mental health — the content people absorb might be depressing, or spur anxiety and irritability — but it also impacts physical health, Thompson said.

Hours spent on a person’s phone could be spent talking a walk, exercising or being physically active.

She suspects people are turning to social media to destress while weathering the tumultuous climate of 2020 and 2021. She urged people to have compassion for themselves while they cope, but to also take a hard look at whether the content they consume on social media is actually helping them unwind or further fostering anxiety.

Kendra Miguez founded a therapy center for women focused on helping them build self-esteem and improve their mental health. Their five locations include Denver and Broomfield.

“We deal with issues all the time with social media, and a lot of some of the unhealthier aspects of it and how it affects mental health and selfesteem,” she said. “Particularly with the millennial generation and the generation in the teens coming up.”

The average person spends two hours a day on social media, she said, and that’s not counting other time spent on the internet. Taking a detox or slowing down social media use makes room for “healthier, more productive activities.”

The platforms can perpetuate unattainable body images or glamorous lifestyles “that can make people feel as if their lives are less worthy.”

“Another con is that it’s very addictive. It definitely can light up the same parts of the brain that get lighted with an addictive substance,” she said. “There’s an intense stimulation for the reward system.”

It doesn’t always matter whether a person’s engagement on social media is positive or negative, she said. Addiction can creep in either way.

“We start to chase the dopamine and you’ll get the dopamine rush when you get a like, and there’s even more when you get a comment,” she said.

Miguez echoed Thompson — social media does have its benefits. The platforms can be integral to people’s professional lives and help them stay connected with distant friends, like old high school classmates.

Miguez’s advice is to develop selfawareness. She encourages people to be mindful of how social media makes them feel. That includes taking note of how whether relationships or interactions with people online are genuine or superficial.

“We’re not really getting our needs met, even though it might feel that way. It’s an illusion. We’re running from our loneliness,” she said.

Research about social media and wellness

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A study in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science called “Does taking a short break from social media have a positive effect on well-being?” did not find a measurable impact from digital detoxing, it said, but it acknowledged limitations around its data.

The experiment comprised three field groups — 248 people in the U.K., 199 in the U.S. and 203 in Hong Kong.

People were asked to spend one day abstaining, comparing a social-mediafree day to a day of normal use.

They then rated their satisfaction with their day, the feeling of social connectedness, and its positive and

negative effects on them. People reported feeling less connection or relatedness while staying off social media, the study said, and no difference in their well-being by abstaining from their socials.

The study recruited a smaller number of participants than it wanted and could not say confidently that people were truthful about whether they stayed off platforms. About half of people said it was difficult to give up social media for the day. That was in fact one reason for the shortness of the study.

“The time scope of these experiments was necessarily narrow as we were concerned about participant compliance and retention. The shortterm effects observed in our studies

might not generalize to longer periods of social media abstinence,” the study states.

A 2015 study in Denmark called “The Facebook Experiment” found evidence that using Facebook affects well-being negatively, after a one-week experiment among more than 1,000 participants. Life satisfaction and positive emotions increased in people who gave the platform up for a week.

This was particularly true for heavy Facebook users and people who “tend to envy others on Facebook.”

A 2020 report called “Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice” also available in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science delved into research available to date

and nuances of social media’s impact on people with mental illness.

Potential benefits range from facilitating social interactions, providing access to a peer support network and wider access to mental health resources and information. Social media allows people to express themselves but can also increase exposures to harm or issues such as bullying.

Social media can be a means to help people with mental illness find treatment and support.

But digital researchers should work closely with clinicians and people affected by mental illness, the report said, “to ensure that possible benefits of using social media are carefully weighed against anticipated risks.”

To advertise your place of worship in this section,

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16 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

Symphony concert to welcome 2022

T

he Littleton Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jurgen de Lemos, will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a concert at SONYA’S 6:30 p.m. on Dec. SAMPLER 31 at Littleton United Methodist Church, 5894 S. Datura St., Littleton. Ticket sales will be limited, due to COVID precautions. Masks and proof of vaccination are required Sonya Ellingboe for attendance.

Tickets cost $40 and include a dessert reception.

Waltzes, polkas, marches and more

by Schubert, Brahms, Lehar will be featured in de Lemos’ final concert with the orchestra he has led for many years. A brief tribute to de Lemos will follow the concert.

Visit littletonsymphony.org for a link to Eventbrite or call 303-9336824.

Newman Center Presents At the University of Denver’s Newman Center, “The Unauthorized Harry Experience” will run at various times Jan. 4-9; the Kronos Quartet performs Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m.; the Dance Theatre of Harlem will appear Jan. 14-15 at 7:30 p.m; Compagnie Herve Koubi is set for Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. — and that’s just a start in the new year! Masks and proof of

vaccination required. newmancenterpresents.com, 303-871-7720.

Clyfford Still Museum The Clyfford Still Museum is asking its community to vote on favorites by this Abstract Expressionist painter for a show later in 2022 called “You Select: A CommunityCurated Exhibition,” which will run Aug. 12, 2022 to Feb. 12, 2023. Votes

by Dec. 31. See clyffordstillmuseum. org/youselect.

Arts Guild workshop Heritage Fine Arts Guild will hold a soft pastel workshop, led by Kathy Beekman, on Jan. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon via Zoom. She will include pastel techniques for distant hills, foreground grasses, bushes and more. She is known for her barnscapes and advocates using the fingers generously. Register and pay through the guild’s website: heritage-guild.com.

Benchmark Theatre “Our American Cousin: America Divided” is a new play developed

by Benchmark Theatre in a world premiere Jan. 6 to Feb. 5, directed by Neil Truglio. Benchmark Theatre is at 1560 Teller St., just north of Colfax Ave. in Lakewood. benchmarktheatre.com, 303-519-9059.

Denver Botanic Garden The York Street location will feature a new exhibit: “CrossPollination: The Moth Migration

Project,” Jan. 15 to April 3, 2022 in the Freyer-Newman Center’s Bonfils-Stanton Gallery. The immersive installation will be created

by Hilary Lorenz and celebrates moths both as cross-pollinators and as a metaphor for the cross pollination of ideas through global human relationships. Works are created by artists of varying skill levels and sent to Lorenz, who explores the intersection of nature, community building and printmaking. botanicgardens.org.

Cowboy Gathering On Jan. 15 and 16, the annual Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be held at the Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St., Golden, featuring Colorado cowboy poets and musicians. The event has run annually for 30-plus years and will have a food truck available. Ticket prices vary for different performances, including a Super Ticket weekend pass for $99! See coloradocowboygathering. com.

Denver Art Museum “Disruption: Works From the Vicki and Kent Logan Collection” opens Jan. 16, 2022 at the Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, and runs throughout 2022. It will include about 50 works, including several never before displayed at the museum. Works by North American and international contemporary artists. Included in general museum admission. Free 18 and under.

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Jurgen de Lemos will conduct the Littleton Symphony Orchestra in his final concert with the group on Dec. 31 at Littleton United Methodist Church.

COURTESY OF LITTLETON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Performance Now “Nunsense” will be performed Jan. 7-23 by the Highlands Ranchbased Performance Now Theatre Company at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood. PerformanceNow.org or box office, 303-987-7845. Tickets are a fine gift idea for this of other upcoming performances!

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, public events frequently are canceled or rescheduled. Check with organizers before you go.

Centennial Citizen 17

December 23, 2021

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18 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

Camp Christmas lights up Lakewood Immersive art experience offers dazzling display

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

From Wadsworth Boulevard, a driver can see a colorful glow from Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park — something wonderful is just a couple blocks away if one turns west on Ohio Avenue to the park at 801 S. Yarrow St. in Lakewood.

Hundreds of park trees are lit in a rainbow of colors — some twinkle and others just shine.

For the past few years, Camp Christmas, a bright, glittery, lightfilled holiday immersive art event, has been staged at several indoor venues — Stanley Marketplace most recently — but moving it outdoors is a wonderful idea and the park’s trees and buildings look like they were always meant to shine!

Parking is free at the site.

Camp Christmas, designed and organized by area artist Lonnie Hanzon, a Lakewood resident, opens at 10 a.m. during the day and remains open until 10 p.m. Seeing it after dark really adds so much to the magic, and one would hope small people could nap and stay up a little later — it is dark by 5 these days!

Hundreds of trees are brightly lit before one even starts on the buildings, and the imaginative Hanzon has worked his magic inside and out across the park. Dazzling!

Buildings involved are from Lakewood’s past and have been moved to the site over a number of years. They are fifties-ish, mostly, not old-old, which is the era chosen for focus in the historical museum as well.

The Beauty Shop, for example, is open to walk through, with its chairs and dryers and wigs and humorous touches. Just makes one smile ... Everywhere one looks, there is something new to see.

Another building features the Pink Room, a confection one walks into, with a life-sized pink horse and so much more highly-detailed decor!

And of course, stockings are hung by the chimney with care in a cozy living room ...

There is an old carousel circling with delighted kids and adults and a total of 15 historic buildings, many of them open and all of them decorated in Hanzon’s over-the-top style.

Snack food and beverages are available, but it’s not a spot to score a dinner. However, many nearby establishments are offering special deals if you show your ticket.

When you arrive at the gate, connect with the digital field guide for information as you walk. Most of the walks are paved, although the area around the barn is coarse gravel — a bit tough for wheels. But in that barn is a huge Christmas tree visitors may want to see.

Total walking distance within Camp Christmas is about a halfmile, the website says, and every inch glows!

This whimsical sketch by Lakewood artist Lonnie Hanzon depicts Camp Christmas, COURTESY OF LONNIE HANZON the art experience designed and organized by Hanzon.

Visits to the Historical Museum on the site are free and there will be a food truck there most nights, according to the website.

Appointments will be necessary to visit Santa, with an extra ticket — and at times he will speak Spanish or in American Sign Language.

Check the website for information.

Masks are required in all indoor spaces and are encouraged outdoors as well.

See the Camp Christmas website to order tickets, which run from $8 to $25, depending on date and time. If you have problems with printing them, The Denver Center for the Performing Arts Box Office (co-sponsor) will troubleshoot, ac-

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At times when tickets remain, they will be sold at the gate, but advance purchase is recommended.

I’m thinking this would be a great plan for a family in the week between Christmas and New Years — perhaps tickets could be a holiday gift even! Open through New Year’s Eve. Last entry is at 9 p.m. Lights out at 10.

Tickets are available at denvercenter.org/tickets-events/campchristmas.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, public events frequently are canceled or rescheduled. Check with organizers before you go.

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20 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

Barrel-bearing Bernards deliver Christmas cheer Breckenridge Brewery partners with nonprofit to deliver beer to winners

BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Christmas came early for certain Littleton-area residents who were greeted Thursday morning by a procession of Saint Bernards with barrels of beer around their collar.

Two Littleton-area households join four others across the metro area as winners of Breckenridge Brewery’s Saint Beernard Delivery. The brewery partnered with Colorado Saint Bernard Rescue to bring a fluffy flurry of dogs to the winners’ homes, where they were gifted several small kegs of the brewery’s signature Christmas Ale. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Breckenridge Brewery has been delivering beer to fans as a safe way to spread some joy. The brewery received national media attention last year when it enlisted reindeer to deliver their beer.

“These mountain-dog deliveries are our nod to our mountain roots and the

longstanding tradition of Christmas Ale,” said Breckenridge Brewery President Todd Usry in a statement about this year’s event.

Winners Mark and Andrea Williams, self-described “ultimate dog lovers,” said they were surprised when they were told they’d won a delivery.

“Both of our dogs are rescue dogs so we like to support the dog rescues as well, so that was kind of a cool little thing,” Andrea Williams told Colorado Community Media.

The dogs were all adopted by their owners through Colorado Saint Bernard Rescue, a nonprofit that finds new homes for unwanted, abandoned or abused Saint Bernards and Saint Bernard mixes.

“We are so excited to be a part of Breckenridge Brewery’s Christmas Ale Deliveries this year … all while celebrating these giant lovable dogs we focus on saving year-round,” said Nicole McLain, president of Colorado Saint Bernard Rescue, in a statement.

For another winner, Emily Rose, she said she couldn’t believe the dog delivery was real when she first entered the contest.

“I grew up with Saint Bernards, so right away when I won I was like ‘Yes!’” she said.

INJURIES FROM PAGE 1

had a lot of snowfall and cold weather so far this autumn, Hall said as more snowstorms and cold weather come in early 2022, doctors always anticipate an uptick in urgent care visits.

Besides cold weather bringing winter injuries, holiday-related injuries ramp up around Thanksgiving, which is the start of the holiday season, Usatch said. This is the time when families start putting out holiday decorations, hanging lights and signs.

Usatch said it is common for family members to venture into hang-

The home of Emily Rose was one of six households across the metro area to win a delivery.

PHOTOS BY ROBERT TANN

Instead of warm brandy, this Saint Bernard is ready to deliver a small keg of Breckenridge’s signature Christmas Ale.

ing lights and signs without someone serving as a spotter under the ladder. Common injuries associated with decoration hanging includes bruises, lacerations and broken bones.

“Just be safe and ask someone to serve as a spotter,” Usatch said. “It is easier to have the help there than to fall and break something, get a concussion or have lacerations.”

Hill said as Christmas celebrations are held and gifts are given throughout the season, hospitals see a variety of toy-related injuries and issues.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2020 there were 198,000 toy-related injuries that required a visit to a U.S. hospital. Of those, males ac-

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The Saint Bernards were brought on as a partnership between Breckenridge Brewery and Colorado Saint Bernard Rescue for a beer giveaway.

counted for 57% of those injured and 75% of the total injured people were under age 14.

Hill said one of his biggest concerns around the holidays is with babies and toddlers who regularly stick something in their mouth, ear or nose.

“Kids tend to put the small pieces from toys in various places,” Hill said. “Kids will start complaining about pain and problems. When they come to us, we find the pieces in the nose, ears or throat. These cases need special tools to fish them out.”

In situations where the child swallows a toy, Hill said the customary response from doctors is to wait. Doctors wait to see if the child can pass it naturally through a bowel movement.

In situations where a child swallows a magnet, such as the popular ball magnet toys, or a button battery, Hill said there is more concern.

“The button batteries cause more concern because their makeup can cause burning and pain inside the stomach,” Hill said. “The magnetic balls can attach and pinch the inside the intestine, causing bowel perforation. This can require surgery to fix.”

Usatch and Hill said hospitals also see patients who are not used to the new toys and gadgets they get for Christmas. Without being used to a new bike, electric scooter, hover board or other riding toys, kids often fall and get hurt. Common injuries associated with riding toys can start with minor cuts and bruises or lead to more serious con-

cerns with concussions and broken bones.

Usatch said a common rule of thumb for parents to follow with any riding toy is to make the helmet an accompanying gift.

Hill said he is always surprised with the older patients that come in on Christmas. It’s not just kids playing on the riding toys, he said.

“We have seen cases where grandparents will be out having fun and trying to ride the toys too,” Hill said. “This leads to them falling and getting hurt.”

Hill said in one case he managed, a 72-year-old grandmother tried to ride a hover board and ended up falling and breaking her hip.

Both Usatch and Hill said parents should read consumer studies on toys and gadgets, making sure they are age-appropriate and understanding the common injuries that are reported with each item.

Over the last few years, drones and flying toys have become a popular item. Either flying them inside or outside, Usatch and Hill said, inexperienced users can mismanage them and either hurt themselves or others in the process. Eye injuries are common with some of the flying toys, Usatch said.

This year, due to supply-chain issues, Hill said parents might be trying to find whatever they can, which means buying more generic, knockoff items that may be more unsafe than the name-brand options.

In this case, Hill stressed parents should pay attention to the consumer reports because generic versions could be more dangerous.

Centennial Citizen 21

December 23, 2021

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22 Centennial Citizen

LOCAL

SPORTS

December 23, 2021

ThunderRidge shows why it’s top-ranked Hoops team wins 78-62 over Eaglecrest with balanced scoring

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Defending state Class 5A state basketball champions and topranked ThunderRidge knocked off another high-profile opponent on Dec. 14 in the Grizzlies gym.

Coach Joe Ortiz’s Highlands Ranch team got balanced scoring and downed eighth-ranked Centennial-area Eaglecrest, 78-62.

ThunderRidge, atop the Dec. 13 CHSAANow 5A state rankings. is now 4-0 this season which includes wins over No. 3 Fossil Ridge and No. 6 Smoky Hill.

ThunderRidge still has nonleague games remaining against George Washington, Valor Christian, No.7 Cherry Creek, Fairview, Broomfield and Ralston Valley before heading into the Continental League which has No. 2 Rock Canyon, No. 4 Chaparral, No. 10 Douglas County and rival Mountain Vista, all Douglas County schools.

“We’ve always had that kind of schedule,” said Ortiz, whose teams have gone 145-32 over the past seven seasons. “Then RPI came out and you wanted that kind of schedule. From year to year teams go up and down but we’ve always tried to keep that kind of schedule, play teams in the Centennial League.

We want to play athletic teams because that’s going to prepare you but we’re just happy to be playing this year.

“It’s been a tough schedule but it’s not going to get easier in the league. Teams will be ready to play us. You have to guard against letdowns. That’s a position you want to be, you want to have a target on your back. But it sucks too.”

Eaglecrest made 13 3-point baskets in the game to keep the score close for three quarters, but the Raptors had no answer for ThunderRidge’s balanced scoring. The Grizzlies went on a 17-3 run early in the fourth quarter to pull away.

Andrew Crawford, a 6-foot-5 forward, scored 19 points including eight of the Grizzlies’ first 10 points.

“I thought Crawford had a breakout game,” said Ortiz. “He’s a sophomore, he’s showed promise and done good things but in a bigger environment he had some really big takes against big-time players. I thought that was his blowout game.”

Jackson Brennan, a 6-3 senior, had 16 points, senior Thomas Walkowisk added 14 points, 6-9 senior Zach Keller had 13 points and 6-8 Joey Bilello finished with 10 points.

“Jackson has been so steady,” added Ortiz. “Zach is obviously the guy and Joey’s been right there with him. We have a pretty good

—

Thomas Walkowiak (12) of ThunderRidge drives down the lane in the Dec. 14 game against Eaglecrest. Walkowiak had 14 points PHOTOS BY JIM BENTON and top-ranked ThunderRidge rolled to a 78-62 victory.

core.”

The balanced scoring is nothing new.

“That’s been the case with our better teams.” Ortiz continued.

“We’ll have balanced scoring at the end of the season, I would think.

Different guys might have big games.

“Eaglecrest shot the ball well.

You have to give them credit how they shot on the road. They are dangerous.”

Senior Mostapha El Moutaouakkil had a game-high 24 points for Eaglecrest.

The Grizzlies entertained George Washington (3-2) on Dec. 21 and Ortiz will borrow words from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and former Army, Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight to avoid a letdown.

“I heard Coach K and he felt that there’s no question how hard the games are that you are suppose to win,” said Ortiz. “I totally feel that.

Then it goes to Bobby Knight ... big game and next game is a letdown.

“The kids will get up for the big games. Some of my more colorful, intense halftime speeches have been against lesser teams because I fear for a letdown. Out kids are resilient and they are pretty good.”

ThunderRidge coach Joe Ortiz shouts some instructions during the Dec. 14 game against Eaglecrest.

Centennial Citizen 23

December 23, 2021

TRI-COUNTY FROM PAGE 1

“It’s (a) strictly legal process is what we followed,” said Jackson, the chair of the board. “I get it that masks are very controversial, and that actually had nothing to do with it.”

An Arapahoe County spokesperson in early September said a separation by Arapahoe wouldn’t be driven by any policy disagreement with the health agency. Douglas County’s exit of Tri-County Health would potentially create financial or budgetary problems for the other two counties, the spokesperson added.

What’s more, officials say Arapahoe essentially had no choice but to exit Tri-County given the separations by its partner counties. That’s because Tri-County’s status as what’s known as a “district health department” — one made up of multiple counties — was at odds with Douglas’ exit and Adams’ upcoming departure.

“There’s certain rules and so on that guide a district, and since two of the three counties have pulled out, we are no longer a district, so we had no choice,” Jackson said.

It might have been plausible to maintain the structure if Adams County had wanted to continue — with some appropriate adjustments, said Luc Hatlestad, spokesperson for Arapahoe County.

“But once that was no longer an option, we began focusing on a single-county model. Tuesday’s resolution was a step in that process,” Hatlestad said.

‘Saddened’ at the fracture In Adams, the county commissioners brought forward a resolution at an Oct. 26 meeting to provide notice of Adams’ decision to leave Tri-County. The vote was unanimous, according to Adams County Commissioner Emma Pinter. Adams plans to withdraw from Tri-County Health at the end of 2022.

Arapahoe has appeared less keen to cut ties with the health agency, saying in an October statement: “The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners is saddened that our neighboring counties have chosen to end the productive 55-year partnership with the Tri-County Health Department.”

Arapahoe’s resolution notes that

The Tri-County Health Department’s headquarters in Greenwood Village. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

under Colorado state law, a county has the power to withdraw from a district public health agency by adopting a resolution and providing at least one year’s notice.

Arapahoe came close to the deadline, given the situation with the other counties.

The series of withdrawals began with the Douglas County commissioners, who decided to immediately leave the health agency in September after months of disagreements over COVID-19 protection measures.

Douglas County formed its own health department and that new board decided to continue contracting most public health services from Tri-County until at least the end of next year.

Tri-County Health has served its residents by providing no-cost cancer screenings, overdose prevention, free nurse visits, restaurant and child care facility inspections, and other services, according to an Arapahoe news release.

The path forward for the counties in a post-partnership world involves confronting the question of how to reorganize their health services structure, potentially contending with increased costs.

“In the short term, separate,

‘There’s certain rules and so on that guide a district, and since two of the three counties have pulled out, we are no longer a district, so we had no choice.’

Nancy Jackson, Arapahoe County commissioner single county public health agencies would have access to less public health revenue, and perhaps services, and would incur transition costs for start-up and (the) dissolution of TCHD,” an Oct. 12 report by the Otowi Group says.

That’s a consulting firm that has studied the benefits and drawbacks of the counties’ potential decisions to handle public health services alone.

The report was considering a scenario where Tri-County Health dissolves, but it’s possible the agency could continue in some form.

Although the three counties appear on track to end up with three separate boards of health — the

policymaking bodies that oversee local health departments — one or more of them may continue receiving health services from TriCounty, even after 2022.

The text of Arapahoe County’s resolution says: “One of the options being considered includes continuing the Tri-County Health Department as a legal entity in some form other than a multicounty district public health agency …. so that it may continue to exist and continue to provide public health services to one or more counties after December 31, 2022.”

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24 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

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At 3pm check out the Christmas workshop in the Fellowship Hall.

It’s full of crafts and is a place for kids to be kids.

Centennial Citizen 25

December 23, 2021

FROM PAGE 23

Differing policy desires Douglas County’s leaders have long clashed with Tri-County Health during the coronavirus pandemic, announcing plans in July 2020 to begin the process of withdrawing from the health agency after its decision to require mask wearing in public.

Some of Adams County’s leaders felt frustration with Tri-County’s recent policymaking, too: Some commissioners voted to opt out of the health agency’s school mask order this August before Tri-County removed the ability of counties to opt out of its health orders.

But Adams’ message wasn’t antimask — County Commissioner Eva Henry said at the time that she agreed with the intent of the order and supports mask-wearing.

“It’s unfortunate, you know, that politics got into our public health system — it shouldn’t be there,” Henry told Colorado Community Media in October. “And that was one of the reasons I voted to opt out of the mask order, to put it back in TriCounty’s hands, to take politics out of the public health orders. Commissioners shouldn’t be making public health decisions.”

Henry told CCM she wanted to have the conversation “long ago” of Adams having its own health agency.

“Once a year, all the county commissioners get together and they talk about the budget,” in the three counties, Henry said in October.

“And talk about what we’ll fund and not going to fund. With Arapahoe County’s budget restrictions they have, and Douglas County’s views, it made those decisions very hard.”

Adams has different budget policies than Arapahoe County because Arapahoe is “not de-Bruced,” meaning the county has different restrictions under Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, Henry said.

For Adams County’s Pinter, watching other counties give less support or less-consistent backing to Tri-County Director John Douglas’ policy recommendations was part of what motivated her to want to break from Tri-County.

“If you watch the votes of the duly

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

Answers

Solution © 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

TRI-COUNTY

appointed board of health members, those three Adams board of health members consistently voted together and in the interest of public health, in favor of Dr. Douglas’ recommendations,” Pinter told CCM in October. She added: “If you look at the votes on the board of health members of Arapahoe and Douglas, the same consistency is not true.”

Asked whether Arapahoe commissioners wanted more independence on public health orders during the pandemic, Jackson said: “We have not had that discussion.”

“I will tell you as (board) chair, or as a person or as a citizen who lives in Arapahoe County, I just want a seamless transition,” Jackson said.

“I want the people in Arapahoe County to experience the high level of service and care that they’ve always gotten. How it’s done is the mystery box. But I personally don’t have a vested interest in any of the ideas.”

Asked whether Tri-County Health — whose headquarters sits in Arapahoe — could become a department of Arapahoe County and become its public health agency, Jackson said it’s not clear what will happen at this point.

“We’ve got a ton of different models we’re looking at,” Jackson said.

“That is probably one of them, but I would certainly not say that any particular model is ahead of the others at this point.

“This is a very complicated process, and we know everyone wants an answer today,” Jackson said. She added: “But the truth of it is we want to be very careful and look at the costs, look at the pros and cons, so that when we do set up a health department, it will stand.”

Christa Bruning, an Adams County spokesperson, has signaled that the county plans to enter into some type of partnership for public health services in the future.

“Adams County intends to contract with a local health agency for many of its public health services starting in January 2023,” Bruning said in October. “It’s too early in the process to know who that health agency is.”

Until new health departments are formed in Arapahoe and Adams, Tri-County maintains the ability to issue public health orders such as mask mandates in those counties.

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26 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

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December 23, 2021

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

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28 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

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Centennial Citizen 29

December 23, 2021

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30 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

FLU

not exactly bad. About 3% of people currently seeking treatment at Kaiser Permanente offices have influenza-like illness, well below the baseline of 5%.

It’s worth noting that the flu season officially begins in October each year and typically peaks in January or February. But, in some years, it doesn’t peak until March.

That’s why the calm start to this season could be a good sign — or it could be deceptive.

The 2015-16 season also started out slow. Then it took off around the end of February.

To Roth, this shows that, despite the good start this year, it’s not time for Colorado to get cocky.

Getting vaccinated against the flu is still important, as is practicing good hand-washing and staying home when sick.

“I think there’s definitely the potential for things to get bad,” she said.

FROM PAGE 4

200 people had already been hospitalized with the flu by this time — five times as many people as we’ve seen this year.

Though vaccination rates are behind last year’s record highs, they are in line with previous years’ numbers. And Roth said vaccinations also appear to be picking up.

As of the week of Dec. 6, the state had administered about 1.6 million doses of flu vaccine. In the previous year, it had already administered 1.8 million doses by this time. But the number of flu vaccinations administered weekly has begun to outpace last year’s weekly trends.

“It could be people are just waiting a little bit longer and all-told we’ll measure up pretty well to last year,” Roth said.

Last flu season, amid waves of stay-at-home orders and other social-distancing measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S. saw one of the weakest flu seasons on record. Months went by with relatively few people showing up in hospitals or doctors’ offices with cases of the flu.

This year is worse — but still

RSV a worry for kids Kids and older adults typically bear the brunt of the flu season.

That’s true this year, too. Among the small number of hospitalizations so far, those 65 and older and those 5 and younger have the highest rates.

But flu isn’t the most significant respiratory virus stalking chil-

dren right now in Colorado — nor is it the second-most significant.

Estimates of hospitalization rates for RSV — respiratory syncytial virus — were 82 times higher than those for flu in November.

Pediatric hospitalization rates for COVID-19 were also significantly higher.

There really is no comparison between the flu and COVID. Hospitalization rates for the coronavirus have far exceeded flu hospitalization rates for all recent years.

In November, the hospitalization rate among all age groups for COVID was 188 times higher than the hospitalization rate for flu.

But, Roth said, this is all the more reason to take the flu seriously. Even though the risk of hospitalization is lower, now is not a good time to take that gamble.

Hospitals remain crowded places. Even though COVID hospitalizations have fallen in recent weeks, more than 1,300 people are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus in Colorado. The state’s hospital intensive-care units are 95% full and, according to federal data, nearly 38% of people in the ICU in Colorado are there with COVID. Getting vaccinated against both the flu and COVID will help

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reduce the strain on hospitals and also reduce the likelihood that you will end up in the hospital with either, Roth said. A flu vaccine can also limit the risk of passing the virus to someone who is vulnerable.

The COVID and flu vaccines can be administered at the same time — just in different arms or, at least, 1 inch apart from one another in the same arm.

About 56% of Coloradans 65 and older have gotten a flu vaccine this year, Roth said. But only about 18% of those ages 20 to 39 have.

“I think sometimes people think they may have missed the window on flu vaccination because we start hammering them pretty hard in October,” Roth said. “There’s this belief that you need it before Halloween, and that’s not true.

You really should be getting your vaccine as long as the virus is circulating.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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Centennial Citizen 31

December 23, 2021

Historic Denver highlights 50 places worth celebrating Residents encouraged to visit sites, in-person or virtually

BY CLARKE READER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Most people in the metro area are at least a little familiar with historic sites like the Molly Brown House in Denver’s Capitol Hill and the Brown Palace hotel in downtown Denver.

But there’s undoubtedly some who will not recognize the Rosedale House or the Wellshire Inn. The Wellshire Inn — located in the Wellshire neighborhood — was built in the 1920s as a golf club house. The Tudor building has since become an event center.

“The size and architectural style are uncommon in Denver. The building is distinctive and a landmark, sitting up high above the golf course,” said Kendra Black, Denver councilmember for District 4. “The story should be told and the building and course should be preserved.”

Historic Denver wants people to know more stories like these, and that’s the aim of the new 50 Actions for 50 Places campaign. The project was launched to mark the 50th anniversary of the organization.

“We wanted to try to recapture the original grassroots spirit that led us to preserve places that are important,” said Annie Levinsky, Historic Denver’s executive director. “At the time, we had one of the largest memberships in the country and we want to get back to that.

People often think preservation is something older people do, but it really is multi-generational.”

The list of 50 places was gathered through a months-long campaign that solicited the Denver community for places and spaces that deserve to have their story told and memorialized in the coming years.

Historic Denver received more than 100 nominations and selected options that recognize the full diversity of the city. The resulting list includes arts and entertainment sites, civic assets, cultural landmarks and homes.

One such home is located at 780 Steele St. in the Congress Park neighborhood, which was the residence of Judge Raymond Jones, who was the first African American appellate judge in Colorado.

According to information provided by Travis Leiker, president and executive director of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Jones attended Harvard, was a judge for 32 years and is a member of the Colorado Black Hall of Fame.

“All too often, the stories of historically marginalized populations go untold and unrecognized.

We discovered the same was true for Judge Raymond Jones,” Leiker said. “This property, and the story of Judge Jones, represent one’s perseverance, defiance against all odds, and should be a fixture in our community today and for our posterity.”

Some of the places readily welcome visitors, while others are great for walking by to appreciate the design and its history, like the Rosedale House, 2199 S. Bannock St. The Rosedale House is one of the few remaining homes that were part of the town of Rosedale, which is now part of the Overland neighborhood — not to be confused with the neighboring Rosedale neighborhood, which is just east of Overland. The modest Queen Anne home was part of the first development built by George Timerman in 1887.

People need to know that street names and cities change over the course of 100 years, said Karen Jackson, owner of the home and nominator.

“The original Rosedale is now Overland and was probably beautiful for decades. Over the years, many homes fell in disrepair, but

The Rosedale House, 2199 S. Bannock St., is one of the sites included in Historic Denver’s 50 Actions for 50 Places campaign. The Rosedale House is one of the few remaining homes that were part of the town of Rosedale, which is now part of the PHOTO COURTESY OF HISTORIC DENVER Overland neighborhood.

I always knew it was a diamond in the rough,” Jackson said. “I feel like the home picked me and I’m the caretaker chosen to save the home and its history.”

The actions that will be embarked upon are as varied as the sites themselves, Levinsky said.

Some will require research about their history; others, technical assistance; and some, recognition through state or national programs.

“We’ll be working with the property owners and community members who nominated the sites to develop a plan,” Levinsky said. “We’ve raised $50,000 for the campaign, and residents can get involved by donating to our organization or a specific project.”

Even if you’re not comfortable going out and about to see the sites in person, Historic Denver has you covered — on its website, you can virtually visit all the locations and learn something about them.

“Preservation has a reputation

for being reactive, but we want to get ahead of things and support these places and the people who take care of them,” Levinsky said.

“Seeing these places is a great way to get to know the city.”

Bringing these spaces and places more attention is what the campaign is really about, and if people can become more appreciative of what is around them, so much the better.

“The home of Dr. Charles Blackwood, the first Black graduate of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, was recently demolished,” Leiker said. The home was located in Denver’s Whittier neighborhood. “This is a reminder that unless we focus our efforts on preserving the buildings and the stories that go with them, our city will lose out on its unique heritage.”

To learn more about any of the 50 places, visit 50actions.historicdenver. org/places.

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals Public Trustees COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0068-2021 To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust: On September 21, 2021, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s) Shane Andersen and Dawnielle Andersen Original Beneficiary(ies) Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as

nominee for United Wholesale Mortgage Current Holder of Evidence of Debt NewRez LLC, F/K/A New Penn Financial, LLC D/B/A Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing Date of Deed of Trust May 24, 2019 County of Recording Arapahoe Recording Date of Deed of Trust May 29, 2019 Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.) D9049898 Original Principal Amount $366,592.00 Outstanding Principal Balance $361,682.22 Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof.

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN. LOT 28, BLOCK 11, SOUTHCREEK SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO. Also known by street and number as: 16216 E Otero Pl, Englewood, CO 80112.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST. NOTICE OF SALE The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 01/19/2022, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street,

Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 11/25/2021 Last Publication: 12/23/2021 Name of Publication: Littleton Independent IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED; DATE: 09/21/2021 Susan Sandstrom, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado By: Susan Sandstrom, Public Trustee The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) rep-

resenting the legal holder of the indebtedness is: Erin Croke #46557 Steven Bellanti #48306 Holly Shilliday #24423 Ilene Dell'Acqua #31755 McCarthy & Holthus LLP 7700 E Arapahoe Road, Suite 230, Centennial, CO 80112 (877) 369-6122 Attorney File # CO-21-894229-LL The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose. ©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015 Legal Notice NO. 0068-2021 First Publication: 11/25/2021 Last Publication: 12/23/2021 Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

###

Centennial Legals 12.23.21 * 1

32 Centennial Citizen

December 23, 2021

An edition of the Littleton Independent

Make a gift to local news this season The importance of local journalism cannot be overstated — it’s what keeps our community informed and connected, day after day, and is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.

That’s why we’re excited to be one of 26 Colorado newsrooms joining forces to amplify the impact of local journalism — not just in our newsroom, but in communities across our state — thanks to the generosity of the Colorado Media Project and their matching gift campaign.

From Nov. 30 until Dec. 31, readers’ contributions will be matched up to $1,000, for a total of $5,000 in funds for Colorado Community Media.

It’s a unique way to make your gift go twice as far.

Linda Shapley Publisher

Thank you for your continued support for our journalists and for supporting the businesses that advertise with us. A local newspaper keeps a local community strong, and we’re proud to perform this service.

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